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I spend this episode talking about the music I’ve been listening to lately — mostly AJR, Shaboozey, and Jelly Roll — and why these very different sounds have been on repeat in my life right now. I dive into AJR’s Maybe Man and how its big theme is identity: these songs are like a pop-psychology class wrapped in catchy hooks, asking who we want to be and whether we’ll ever feel “enough” (cue my mid‑30s existential crisis, starring yours truly). I also gush about Shaboozey for the pure fun factor — party-ready, country‑rap energy that kept me awake on long shifts and made me feel like Thursday Night Football had its own hype track. Then I get real about Jelly Roll: his music leans into recovery, faith, and vulnerability — songs like “Winning Streak” and “Need a Favor” are gritty, honest portraits of people trying to heal and find community. I’m not pretending to be a musicologist — I admit I just like hearing my voice on these shows — but I do care about how music builds community and helps us process grief, identity, and faith (full disclosure: it’s been a rough year for me). So expect short clips, some goofy asides, and some quieter, sincere reflections on how these artists land in my life — laughter, tears, and all the joyful noises in between.

AJR's Maybe Man hit me like a late-night existential text from my younger self — you know, the one that asks “who am I supposed to be?” I walk you through the album's big ideas (identity, longing, the weird comfort of not knowing) and why songs like the title track, Inertia, and A Hole in the Bottom of My Brain stuck in my head. I even nerd out a bit: I compare AJR's themes to Kingdom Hearts — yes, the video game — because both wrestle with identity, belonging, and the possibility that being "dearly beloved" might be the whole point. Expect a relaxed, laugh-friendly take that still gets honest: I riff on imposter syndrome, the trap of chasing validation, and why learning to be okay with who you are can be as revolutionary as a chart-topping single.

Music does community work, and that’s literally why we started Some Joyful Noises on the Anazole Podcast Network: to make noise about music that shapes people and communities. I talk about how songs from AJR, Shaboozey, and Jelly Roll became a mirror for my own season of grief (I lost family this year, had some hard moments, and yes — I cried over playlists). I reflect on spiritual practices, too: Pentecostal hoots vs. Lutheran liturgy, the comfort of structured worship versus the need to just feel something — and how both can be valid responses to loss or joy.

I keep it practical and gentle: if you’re wondering whether music can help when you’re grieving or questioning God, I say yes — and offer simple next steps (talk to someone, find a pastor, join a community, or just press play on a song that says "me too"). The episode is messy, honest, and sometimes silly — just like life — and I invite you to share what you’re listening to so we can keep making joyful noises together.

Takeaways:

• I loved AJR's Maybe Man album — it's a poppy, existential ride about identity that made me think of Kingdom Hearts and who I wanna be, even if I still don’t fully know.
• I kept going back to “Inertia” because the physics metaphor hits — life stays the same unless something big pushes us, and I’m learning to accept who I am before I chase endless “bigger.”
• I’ve been blasting Shaboozey when I’m tired at work — it’s dumb-fun, party-ready country-rap that keeps me awake and reminds me music can just be a good time, no deep therapy required.
• Jelly Roll surprised me with raw, faith-tinged storytelling about addiction and recovery; I don’t agree with every theological point, but I totally support the community and vulnerability his songs create.
• After a year of personal losses, music helped me name grief and longings — I confess I sometimes only pray when desperate, and that truth made me value spiritual routines and real human connection.
• We talked a lot about music building community — none of us are experts, but we believe songs help people show up for each other, be honest, and stop pretending everyone’s on a winning streak.
• If you’re ever unsure what to do with heavy feelings, I say talk to someone — pastor, friend, therapist — and maybe put on an album that feels like a hug; music, prayer, and people actually help.

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Welcome to my dojo, this is Kung Fu Pizza Party. Today, we keep the spooky season vibes going with a discussion about the real vampires in society, our corporate overlords with their streaming services. Paramount Skydance Warner Bros Discovery is now a thing. The Fox Corporation is set to acquire Roku by June of next year. The Hulu app is going away...maybe. And when the dust settles, I still have to rent movies because they are not available anywhere to stream already? Just by physical media y'all.

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This week, Page talks about Pet by Akwaeke Emezi and Pixel receives a very interesting gift from a friend.

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Kevin Schaefer and Will Rose dig into Alfred Pennyworth's role as the father-figure and mentor to both Batman and Nightwing right off the bat. Kevin calls Alfred the greatest father figure in comics and says he keeps Bruce and Dick from going off the rails. Will, fresh from a sabbatical, says the show’s "Faces Behind Us" theme made him think about who looks out for him in real life. They run through comics, movies, and cartoons, drop quotes from Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Begins, and laugh about which role they’d want. They keep it light and witty while showing why Alfred is Gotham’s quiet rock — a steady, classy, low-key badass who sews up wounds and the soul.

Alfred takes the front seat as the steady dad, the patch-up guy, and the moral voice for Bruce and Dick. Kevin lays out how Alfred is more than a butler. He is the quiet hand that keeps Batman from slipping into darkness. Will brings the chill thoughts and jokes while also noting the deep stuff about trust and care. They trade clips and lines, like the soft hit of "Why do we fall?" and the stern line, "vengeance blackens the soul." These bits show Alfred as a compass, not a sidekick.

The hosts keep it light and real. They point out how Alfred helps Batman hold on to his name and heart. They say that without Alfred, the hero might turn mean or break. The talk is full of simple claims and warm examples. It feels like two pals talking about a legend and saying, plain and clear, that Alfred is the glue that holds Batman and Nightwing together.

Takeaways:

• They explain Alfred is the key father figure and steady moral compass for Bruce and Dick.
• They review Alfred across comics, movies, and cartoons, showing how each version shifts tone and purpose.
• They note Alfred's background as a spy and medic turns him into a badass caregiver and smart strategist.
• They argue Alfred's steady counsel stops Batman from tipping into pure vengeance and losing his soul.
• They cover Alfred's comic death and how his memory still guides Bruce like a living inner voice.
• They highlight Alfred giving Dick trust, money, and purpose, which really launches Nightwing's grown up arc.
• They joke Alfred's job is equal parts butler, medic, PR manager, and secret bouncer — messy but vital.
• They close by saying everyone needs an Alfred in life, a steady friend who shows up and cares.

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Check out all of our "The Faces Behind Us" series:

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Listen to our other DC episodes:

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Check out other episodes with Will:

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Our show focuses around our favorite fandoms that we discuss from a Christian perspective. We do not try to put Jesus into all our favorite stories, but rather we try to ask the questions the IPs are asking, then addressing those questions from our perspective. We are not all ordained, but we are the Priests to the Geeks, in the sense that we try to serve as mediators between the cultures around our favorite fandoms and our faith communities.

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How does David's polygamy cause problems for him? Why would God bless David even when he sins? Why is Abner's defection sinful even when choosing the right side? What is Joab's sin? How does he abuse the cities of refuge for his own interests? How does Ish-bosheth die? What ends the Israeli Civil War?

Pastor Will Rose’s main point is that love fulfills the law: reconciliation matters, so go directly to the person, listen carefully, bring witnesses if needed, and only then involve the whole community because how people treat each other on earth carries spiritual weight. He grounds the message in the Gospel of Matthew and explains that Matthew portrays Jesus as a new Moses and the Sermon on the Mount as a kind of living Torah—basically, Jesus as love incarnate. Pastor Will unpacks Jesus’ step-by-step advice for conflict resolution (one-on-one, then a few, then the church), highlights the gospel idea of “binding and loosing,” and connects it to the Lord’s Prayer and forgiveness. He uses everyday, slightly silly examples—yes, even the Great Holiday Decoration Debate—to show how relational friction shows up in ordinary life. He also names modern struggles like masking and anxiety, urging honest confession, mutual listening, and building trust so people can be real with one another. The overall tone is warm, practical, and hopeful: he reminds listeners that Jesus promises presence when two or three gather, and that they are held by “a love stronger than death.”

Pastor Chill Will from Chapel Hill strolls into the pulpit at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, NC (September 6th, 2026) with a grin and a loaded question about holiday decorating—because if you can’t tackle Halloween vs. Christmas in a sermon, where can you? He quickly pivots from playful parish politics to a rooted reading of Matthew, gently reminding listeners that the Revised Common Lectionary has plopped them into a Matthew-heavy season that portrays Jesus as a new Moses, a Torah incarnate. He explains the basic idea clearly: Matthew borrows Moses imagery to show Jesus leading a new Exodus from death to life and reframes the law by centering love as its fulfillment. The Sermon on the Mount reads like a fresh Ten Commandments—less about guilt and more about relational flourishing.

From that theological scaffold he drills into Matthew 18’s practical wisdom on conflict and reconciliation—start one-on-one, bring witnesses if needed, then involve the broader community—because relationships ripple outward. He highlights listening as a spiritual muscle, ties it to confession and forgiveness, and connects the “binding and loosing” language to everyday discipline: what we do in community matters, and it matters with eternal significance. The homily is both an invitation and a how-to: build trust, stop gossiping, be honest about where you are, and practice forgiveness so love can actually do its job.

Takeaways:

• He explains the Revised Common Lectionary: a three‑year cycle of Gospel readings that guides Sundays and seasons like Advent, Lent, Easter and Epiphany.
• Pastor Will Rose, preaching at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill on September 6, 2026, portrays Matthew’s Jesus as a new Moses leading a liberating Exodus from death to life.
• He unpacks Matthew 18’s stepwise approach to conflict resolution—go one‑on‑one, bring witnesses, then involve the whole church—practical, relational steps for messy communities.
• They highlight the importance of listening and honest confession, explaining how dropping the social‑media 'I'm fine' masks builds trust and strengthens communal care.
• He clarifies the biblical idea of 'binding and loosing' by tying it to forgiveness and prayer: earthly relationships reflect and matter for God’s kingdom.
• Sheesh—joking aside, he insists that love, not rule‑checking, fulfills the law; faith is active, restorative love toward neighbor and enemy alike.

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Pastor Will Rose drives straight to the heart of the message: God’s generosity flips human ideas of fairness—“the last will be first and the first will be last”—and calls people into solidarity rather than standing idle. He walks through Jesus’s vineyard parable from Matthew (where every worker gets a denarius no matter how long they labored) and the whole Jonah sketch (Nineveh, a big fish, a plant and a worm) to show how Scripture uses stories—parables and prophetic satire—to reveal God’s surprising mercy. He explains, in plain terms, that Jesus’ repeated “kingdom of heaven is like…” sayings are teaching tools that upend status, wealth, and the usual scorekeeping, inviting listeners to a different way of valuing people. Preached at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, NC on September 20, 2026, he mixes warmth, jokes (yes, he jokes about being swallowed by whales and old notes home), and serious challenge: don’t be idle in the vineyard—stand with those at the back of the line. The homily encourages practical faith—work that manifests God’s love for everyone—and leaves listeners with a simple question to ponder: if God cares for a plant that appeared overnight, shouldn’t God’s people care even more about those who don’t yet know their way?

Pastor Will Rose brings a warm, witty homily to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Chapel Hill, NC) on September 20, 2026, and he does it with the kind of charm that makes theology feel like backyard conversation. He walks listeners through two vivid Bible stories—the Matthew parable of the vineyard workers and the whole mini-drama of Jonah—using plain language and a wink. He explains the parable basics (a denarius = about a day's wage) and highlights Jesus’ recurring theme: God’s kingdom upends human accounting. Where humans keep painstaking score, God operates on a surprising, generous logic that can feel scandalously unfair—and that’s the point. He peppers the talk with personal color (childhood mischief, his mom’s memorable quips, and a surfer’s quip about whales vs. jellyfish) to make scripture feel lived-in and human.

Beyond the laughs, Pastor Will leans into concrete takeaways. He names the danger of a prosperity mindset (thinking wealth equals blessing) and invites the congregation to resist saying “ew, those people” about enemies or outsiders. The homily frames the vineyard as shared work: don’t stand idle, notice the last in line, and practice solidarity. He closes with a pastoral nudge—read Jonah, sit with its strange humor and mercy, and let God’s generous accounting reshape how you live and love. It’s theology with a grin and a call to action: don’t just admire God’s generosity—join the work in the vineyard.

Takeaways:

• He highlights the vineyard parable to explain God's radical generosity, where late-hired workers receive equal pay, challenging human ideas of fairness and merit and introducing the biblical concept of a 'holy reversal'.
• He ties Jesus' repeated phrase 'the first will be last, the last will be first' to the prophetic tradition and Jonah, explaining that holy inversion is a core way Scripture names God's upside-down kingdom.
• He uses Jonah's story — the great fish, the sudden repentance in Nineveh, and the withered plant — to show God's surprising mercy even toward enemies, teaching that repentance and compassion can change outcomes.
• He peppers the homily with personal stories about being a mischievous kid and a camp counselor to illustrate how repeated reminders form character, clarifying that repetition in scripture is formative rather than merely nagging.
• He urges the Holy Trinity community (Chapel Hill, Sept 20, 2026) toward solidarity with those marginalized, arguing that faithful work in the vineyard means active service, not standing idle while others wait.
• He calls listeners to live into a love stronger than death—practical theology with heart—by serving across differences, rejecting ‘ew, those people’ attitudes, and embodying God’s generosity in everyday actions.

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Pastor Chill Will drives home one clear message right away: following Jesus means heading toward Jerusalem—embracing suffering, death, and resurrection—and taking up a cross rather than building one. He unpacks Jesus’ blunt prediction that the disciples will witness rejection and the cross, and then explains that “taking up the cross” is a call to let go of worldly power and self-preservation and to follow a life of costly love. He teases out the tension when Peter balks—telling Jesus “no way”—and gets a sharp rebuke that reads like a holy traffic warning: slow down, pay attention, and don’t miss the promise of Easter. Using playful travel metaphors (roundabouts, speed-radar smiley faces, and a few tolls paid the hard way), he shows how the Holy Spirit guides the congregation’s direction and gives grace in the messy bits of everyday life. He also points to the transfiguration as a brief mountaintop glimpse of glory that fortifies them before the descent into the cross, and he invites the congregation to treat the altar as a “grace moment” that keeps them on the road the Spirit is leading. Finally, he highlights a hymn verse that captures the paradox of discipleship—joy and tears, sacrifice and new life—calling the people to keep asking “Where are they headed?” and to follow together with attentive, hopeful hearts.

Takeaways:

• He teaches that following Jesus means denying oneself and taking up a cross—practical self-sacrifice and service, not political power; discipleship flips worldly success on its head.
• He uses driving metaphors—traffic circles, GPS directions, and smiley-face speed radars—to remind the congregation to pay attention, slow down, and not exit the roundabout of faith too early.
• He emphasizes the Holy Spirit as an active, present guide in congregational life—like a GPS-cheerleader hybrid—shaping worship, testimonies, and everyday decisions with gentle correction and inspiration.
• When Peter rebukes Jesus and Jesus rebukes back, he models humility, correction, and the danger of seeing only apparent defeat while missing the resurrection promise.
• He warns not to miss Easter’s assurance: the passion prediction includes both the cross and the third-day rising, teaching that apparent loss can lead to transformed hope.
• He frames the altar and communion as tangible grace moments—a spiritual pit stop with bread and wine that renews courage for the road ahead and steadies believers amid life’s traffic jams.

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Joshua Noel contends that Bishop Myriel’s singular act of mercy—bestowing the silver and the candlesticks and fabricating a lie to spare Jean Valjean incarceration—serves as the pivotal mechanism through which Victor Hugo demonstrates that compassion effects profound transformation more potently than grandiose political revolt. Joshua Noel approaching the tale as a Daoist Christian, elucidates how Hugo stages the bishop’s wu-wei-like restraint to reorient moral perception and to catalyze Valjean’s radical reinvention.

Joshua interrogates the protean nature of names and identity—prisoner 24601, Jean Valjean, Monsieur Madeleine—and parallels these permutations with the renamings in the Book of Daniel, thereby exposing how nomenclature, memory, and social context delimit and enable the self. Noel balances erudition with a playful cadence—occasionally yielding to a pun or a sly allusion to Kingdom Hearts’ letter-play—while insisting that quotidian acts of mercy propagate love in ways that revolution cannot fully accomplish. He notes how names change under power. Joshua points out that Daniel keeps his Hebrew name while others receive Aramaic names tied to foreign gods.

Joshua Noel places Jean Valjean’s many names next to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and asks why names matter for identity. He asks listeners to think of how social systems shape who people may become and how small acts can break those chains. Joshua brings play into heavy thought, mentioning Kingdom Hearts and the way names and hearts shape persons. He uses that game as a simple mirror for deep questions. Joshua closes by inviting reflection rather than answers. He leaves the listener with an open, clean question about what defines a life: label, deed, or mercy.

Takeaways:

• Joshua Noel explains how Bishop Muriel's quiet mercy transforms Jean Valjean and changes many lives.
• Noel contrasts small acts of kindness with large revolutions and finds mercy more lasting and powerful.
• Joshua ties identity and names together using Jean Valjean and the Book of Daniel as clear examples.
• Joshua asks listeners to consider how names, past actions, and sacrifice shape who they become over time.
• Joshua Noel reflects on privilege, culture, and the limits of judgment, urging listeners to let mercy guide public action rather than mere critique or anger.

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"Whatever that thing may be, we are Ninja Warriors."

Welcome to my dojo, this is Kung Fu Pizza Party. Today, we are kicking off spooky season with my review of 2010s Alien vs Ninja; a Japanese, martial art, sci-fi, horror, comedy. AVN brings together two things that every eight year old would love to see, ninjas fighting aliens. Though the ninjas may have katanas, and the aliens are clearly supposed to be like Xenomorphs, AVN offers original takes and creative ideas to two powerhouse staples.

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